Oil - My favorite resource!

[SerapisIV]

Originally posted by Solver
In general, a nice idea. I'll be bombing roads that give them oil, and then laugh as my Tanks kill his Musketmen...

Infantry don't require oil and they have a pretty darn good defense value.

[SerapisIV]

Analysis of not using oil:

Resource prequisites for units/buildings in Civ III:(referenced from: Strategy Guide Threads)
(note: I deleted the units like pikemen and knights, don't really effect this analysis though, none required oil anyway)

Ground units:
Marine: Rubber
Mech. Inf: Oil, Rubber
Modern Armor: Oil, Rubber, Aluminum
Paratrooper: Oil, rubber
Radar Artillery: Aluminum
Tank: Oil, Rubber

Analysis: Weak on offense, however using marines, infantry, and radar artillery, you have a pretty damn good defense.

Maritime units:
AEGIS Cruiser: Aluminum, Uranium
Battleship: Oil
Carrier: Oil
Destroyer: Oil
Nuclear Sub: Uranium
Submarine: Oil
Transport: Oil

Analysis: No oil means you can only use Nuke Subs and AEGIS Cruisers. Nuke Subs is a big plus and very useful.

Air units:
Bomber: Oil
Cruise Missile: Aluminum
Fighter: Oil
Helicopter: Oil, rubber
ICBM: Aluminum, Uranium
Jet Fighter: Oil
Stealth Bomber: Oil, Aluminum
Stealth Fighter: Oil, Aluminum
Tac Nuke: Aluminum, Uranium

Analysis: No oil, means you're extremely weak with air power. However using cruise missiles as a stand-off weapon and nukes as a deterrent and last resort, as long as you can deal with global warming, not a horrible shortcoming

City improvements/Wonders:
Coal Plant: Coal
Coastal Fortress: Iron, Saltpeter
Factory: Iron
Mass Transit: Rubber
Nuclear Plant: Uranium
SAM Battery: Aluminum
Apollo Program: Aluminum
Manhattan Project: Uranium

Analysis: No weakpoints, production/culture normal

Final Analysis: Not being able to use oil forces the player into a builder mode. There is no way an oil-lacking civ can be a warmonger in the end game unless you don't care able global warming. The biggest shortcoming is not being able to use mech infantry on the defense, but by using cruise missiles and radar artillery, attackers should be pretty weak before they get near enough to really hurt and infantry/marines can then absorb the weakened attackers. UN, Spaceship and Culture victories are very possible end games.

Such a game would be a difficult end game, however such a game would not greatly effect any player who's goal from the outset is a peaceful game. No oil is a warmongers nightmare, however it hurts the builder only in city defense by limiting him to Def=12 values vs. Def=20. What this means is more of his budget must go to defense unit support then would otherwise because of the need for more infantry units and stand-off cruise missiles

[Haphazard]

Nice analysis Serapis.

Another couple of points to note, loosing rubber would have even more effect on the ground forces than oil! Also not having aluminium would be devasting on modern armed forces too and would deprive them of nukes just as well as cutting uranium! (bit strange that)

So don't just concentrate on oil. If the enemy civ has too much oil to nullify, other options exist. Losing just one of rubber, aluminium or oil will be a severe handicap over any civ with all 3.

This is going to be great! Something else to fight over, other than cities!

[SerapisIV]

Losing rubber would pretty much have the same impact as losing oil in terms of ground forces...you're stuck on the defensive. However, if you still only lost rubber, you now have an air force and navy again.

Losing aluminum would be a real killer though, for while you get mech infantry for city defense, you lose the stealth air force, nukes, any strong ground attack and naval air protection (AEGIS and Radar Artillery...assuming radar artillery are air defense capable, they have radar don't they )

Without aluminum, you lose nuclear deterrence, space victory, stealth and warmongering. That's harsh.

I think aluminum might be the most harmful in terms of missing resources

[Faboba]

However, as far as the computer is concerned, uranium is the most valuable resource on the planet. So if you possess the world stockpiles of uranium and in earlier days Iron, you can expand in the anceint era and trade for what you need in the modern one.

The fact we've started examining worst case trade scenarios must mean the game's gonna be good

[Taylost]

Serapis, a quick clarification.

Transport: Oil

Analysis: No oil means you can only use Nuke Subs and AEGIS Cruisers. Nuke Subs is a big plus and very useful. Also, being that there is no mention of transports requiring oil, the combo of AEGIS defense ships protecting transports holding marines, mean that you can still have a pretty decent attacking force in isolated enemy territories

What do you mean that transports don't need oil? I'm confused.
(What else is new?)

[SerapisIV]

Whoops, missed that. That's what I get for skimming and only really caring about military units, I'll change the post then. Doesn't change the analysis though, only further pushes an oil-lacking civ into a Builder strategy.

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by SerapisIV
AEGIS Cruiser: Akuminum, Uranium

Akuminum?? I dont think many civs will find that resource
Ok, thats just picking, but someone had to do it, right? Right?!?



But looking at that list, aluminium seems to be a very important resource, on par with oil. Probably its more abundant than oil is, or in an easier-to-access area than oil.

[SerapisIV]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns


Akuminum?? I dont think many civs will find that resource
Ok, thats just picking, but someone had to do it, right? Right?!?

I cut and pasted that list from the other thread, mistakes and all. besides, never heard of an internet bulletin board post being judged on spelling or grammar